How To Use The Database Search

It is important to note that not all oral history entries have complete data. Therefore, searching in categories like location, topic, and description might not actually show a comprehensive set of results for oral histories that address your search. If you would like to help make the database more complete, please see the "Take Part" page!

When you search options from multiple categories, it will show all entries that match the combination of your choices. For instance, if you choose "Mancos Public Library" as the institution storing the oral history and "Durango" for the location mentioned, it will show all entries stored at Mancos Public Library that show that "Durango" is a mentioned location.

Click on the tabs below to get more specific guidance for how each search category works

Use this filter if you are only interested in particular places that house oral histories - for instance, institutions close to where you live.
When searching for institution, it will show results for all of the institutions you select.

All oral histories have data for this category, as even those not associated with an institution are labeled "Unaffiliated".

All oral histories have data denoting their format. Some include multiple formats - for instance, audio files that have been transcribed and therefore have an associated transcript. If you select both "Audio" and "Transcript," it will show results for any oral history that has audio AND any oral history that has a transcript, even if it is not have both a transcript and audio.

You may use this search feature if, for instance, you only want to read rather than listen to an oral history, meaning you can search for only files that have transcripts.

The following defines each type of "access" and how this will search. You will likely choose either "Exclude All Low Quality & Restricted" or "Online"

"Exclude All Low Quality & Restricted" - This will show all results except for those tagged as having restricted access or low quality recordings that are often inaudible. All of these oral histories are marked either "Contact Institution" or "Online."

"Contact Instituion" - There is no link for you to directly access this. It is possible that the institution can send you files digitally, or you will have to visit the institution to access the oral history. You will have to contact them to find out. Contact information is provided once you click "See More" on an oral history result.

"Low Quality" - The institution has indicated that oral history is difficult to hear or understand. This would only make sense to search if you are interested in helping institutions see if they can discern information on these recordings.

"Online" - There is a link to access this online - find the link when you click "See More."

"Restricted (no release)" - The narrator has not given permission for people to access the oral history. It is still possible that the institution will obtain permission from the person or descendent at some point in the future. If you are particularly interested in oral histories with this marking, you can try to contact the institution to see.

This will search the narrators to see if your search is in any part of their name. For instance, typing "Will" will come up with "Will," "William," "Willy," etc.

This category includes the date of the recording/interview, so the topic of the oral history often relates to dates much earlier. Note that not all oral histories have known dates, and some of the dates are estimated.

If you want to narrow down your search by date, you do not have to enter a year for both spaces. For instance, if you want to see all oral histories created after 1970, you can put 1970 in the box next to "After" and no date in the next box. On the other hand, if you want to see all oral histories recorded before 1970, you can put 1970 in the box next to "before" and no date in the first box. You can also put years in both boxes to create a range, like all oral histories created between 1990 and 2000. If you want all oral histories created in a specific year, just type the same year in both boxes.

For more information about how location tags were created, see the about page. Note that oral history entries are often tagged with locations outside of the 8 counties, but the search function is constrained to the 8 county region of Southwest Colorado.

When searching locations, it will show results including any of the locations you choose. For instance, if you choose "Telluride" and "Rico," it will show all oral histories that mention "Telluride" and all oral histories that mention "Rico," even if they do not mention both.

Note that many oral histories do not have locations associated with them, so this search will not provide a comprehensive list. If you would like to help make the data about locations more complete, please see the "Take Part" page!

For more information about how topic tags were created, see the about page.

When searching topic, it will show results including any of the topics you choose. For instance, if you choose "Crime" and "Medicine," it will show all oral histories that relate to "Crime" and all oral histories that relate to "Medicine," even if they do not relate to both.

Note that many oral histories do not have topics associated with them, so this search will not provide a comprehensive list. If you would like to help make the data about locations more complete, please see the "Take Part" page!

Some institutions provided brief descriptions associated with their oral histories included in the description category. Some of these descriptions were as long as transcript summaries, while some simply state the narrator or a brief topic. Any extra information provided by an institution that did not fit the categories of the inventory were included in the description category. In general, one can try to search the description for information not included in tags or other general searches.

When searching descriptions, the search will see if what you type in your search matches content in the description category.

Like location and topic tags, not all oral histories have associated descriptions. If you would like to help make the descriptions more complete, please see the "Take Part" page!